Joyce Wins in Playoff to Secure Carolinas Junior Girls' 15 & Under Title

 

Event: 16th Carolinas Junior Girls’ 15 & Under Championship

Host Site: Country Club of Whispering Pines, Whispering Pines, N.C.

Playing Dates: July 10-11, 2023

Social Media: @CGAgolf1909

 

Related: Championship Website  | Scoring |  History  |  Photos

 

LOCATION – Whispering Pines, N.C.

 

Congratulations to Rachel Joyce of Pinehurst, N.C., winner of the 16th Carolinas Junior Girls’ 15 & Under Championship played at the Country Club of Whispering Pines. Joyce shot 75-73 for a two-day total of 148, 6-over. 

 

In Round 1, Joyce played a consistent round with one birdie to finish at 4-over, 75 and head into the Final Round tied for second place. During the Final Round, Joyce eliminated some bogeys, shot an even 35 on the back nine, and finished the day shooting 2-over, 73 for a total score of 6-over. 

 

“Keeping my tee shots in the fairway helped a lot,” Joyce said regarding what she did well this week.

 

Joyce waited in the clubhouse for the rest of the scores to come in as Natalia Henderson of Southern Pines, N.C. started climbing the leaderboard. Henderson played an extremely impressive Final Round, carding four birdies to come in with a 68 for the day. This put her at a total score of 6-over as well, forcing a playoff between Joyce and Henderson. 

 

Joyce and Henderson were neck and neck throughout the playoff, making it competitive and exciting to watch for spectators including parents and fellow competitors. After four playoff holes, Joyce made her par putt to secure the win. Henderson finished runner-up at 80-68 for a two-day total of 148, 6-over. 

 

Joyce was able to handle the pressure well, and she said her mindset during the playoff was to “just keep it in the fairway, keep it safe”.

 

This is Joyce’s third year playing in the Carolinas Junior Girls’ 15 & Under Championship. When asked what this win means to her, she said “it’s definitely a confidence boost for future tournaments”.

 

For the Junior Division, Xin Yao Wang of Cary, N.C. came in first place at a total score of 138, 4-under. Wang played an impressive 18 holes during Round 1, shooting a 67, 4-under. 

 

Wang carded four birdies and even one eagle on hole 7. “My tee shot was great, my second shot I had a 6-iron in hand and I put it about three feet from the hole, and then just tapped it in” Wang said as she explained her eagle on the front. 

 

Wang played a consistent Final Round to shoot 71, even par, to finish at the top of the leaderboard. Reece Hart of Winston-Salem, N.C. came in second place in the Junior Division with a 75-80 for a two-day total of 155.

 

The Carolinas Golf Association would like to thank GM Billy Lewis, Director of Golf Brad Thorsky, and the rest of the staff at the Country Club of Whispering Pines for helping us host this event.

 

About the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA)

The CGA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization founded in 1909 to promote and protect the game of golf in the Carolinas by providing competitions, education, support and benefits to golf clubs and golfers. The CGA is the second largest golf association in the country with over 700 member clubs represented by nearly 150,000 individuals. 

The CGA annually conducts 48 championships and five team match competitions for men, women, juniors, and seniors. It also runs over 150 One-Day (net and gross) events and qualifying for USGA national championships. The CGA serves golf in the Carolinas with numerous programs such as: the USGA Handicap System; tournament management software and support; course measuring and course/slope ratings; agronomy consultation; answers about the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, and Handicapping; Carolinas Golf Magazine; Interclub series; Tarheel Youth Golf Association; Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame; expense assistance for USGA Junior and Girls' Junior qualifiers from the Carolinas; and the Carolinas Golf Foundation (CGF). The CGF has distributed nearly $2,000,000 since 1977 to benefit Carolinas' golf initiatives including junior and women's programs.  

  

For more information about the Carolinas Golf Association, follow @cgagolf1909 on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok or visit our website www.carolinasgolf.org/

 

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